It looks as though, as a pilot program, it worked exceedingly well. Your feedback suggests some tweaks for improvement too, such as allowing more than 30 minutes for each conference and making some extended use of the written information in the binders.
Here are some samples of your feedback:
"The conference was a hit! I think this format builds confidence in students where they are able to highlight and explain what they have learned. It creates a culture of accountability where they have to articulate strengths and opportunities. It was wonderful to hear my 15-year old say so much more than 'good, fine, ok, yes, no.'"
"[My husband] and I did not know what to expect and were very pleased when we left. [Our daughter] was able to tell us what she has and is learning and her strength and how she can improve. I think [she] was more engaged in her performance and the interaction between us asking questions and her answering them in front of her advisor held her accountable. Also, her advisor had some questions that we did not think of. We did like the teachers' comments."
"This is a good learning tool for the students because it prepares them life and dealing with employers and having job reviews by self-reflection."
"[My wife] and I were able to attend [our daughter's] conference and we both came away very impressed. We felt it gave her ownership of what she is doing and the opportunity to deliver her progress to us in a neutral environment. Her advisor did an outstanding job working with her while allowing her to take the lead while she encouraged her when needed."
"My husband and I LOVED our conference with [our son and his advisor.] We enjoyed seeing our son share his accomplishments and listen to ideas from both his parents and teacher on ways to improve going forward into the next trimester. . . . Watching our son speak so confidently about himself and with such pride about his work was just heartwarming for a parent. Also, being able to see how far he's come from the day we decided to change schools is such a gift. The student-led conferences are a wonderful idea and we look forward to the next one."
"[My husband] was VERY impressed with [our son's] student-led conference. They both shared how it went and it sounds like it is something you should continue to do. He said he was very impressed with the process and he thinks it made [our son] more aware of how he's doing and involved than he would have been had we been to the regular student conferences."
"[The advisor] did an excellent job moderating the conference, and guiding [our son] when he needed direction during the presentation, including asking questions to steer the conference. He is an excellent advisor and mentor. They have a good working relationship and rapport. The student-led conference was very good, not instead of, but in addition to, the teacher conferences because while it is great to speak to directly to the teacher, it is also so valuable to see our son take ownership and be involved in his academic progress, both the positives and the negatives, successes and where he could use improvement."
"The best conference I have ever had. It was great to have [our son] tell us his strengths and weaknesses and what he is doing and what he enjoys and what he struggles with. An 11 on a scale of 1-10."
And a couple of you asked you children to provide the feedback, which yielded . . .
" I enjoyed student-led conferences because it was something out of my comfort zone, but I was also able to feel confident in my work. I also liked it because it showed my parents where I am academically, and it helped me as well to look over my work. I think that we should have gotten a little bit more time on our binders . . ."
"[I] liked that [I] got to be there and give [my] own opinions and perspectives on classes as well as [my] academic performance."
Many thanks for your detailed and encouraging feedback.
